Independent Commissions and Contentious Issues in Post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland

by Dawn Walsh

This book asks how independent commissions helped to overcome difficulties during the implementation phase of the Good Friday Agreement. These independent groups worked to resolve issues which threatened to derail the peace process, including the reform of policing, the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons, the monitoring of ceasefires, dealing with the past conflict, and the issue of human rights. Each chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the work of a different group finding that the commissions engaged in a broad range of activities. Drawing on the lessons of Northern Ireland the book demonstrates the importance of balancing local and international involvement, the inclusion of expertise, and giving sufficient powers to such bodies. This volume appeals to academics and researchers in a range of disciplines such as politics, peace and conflict studies, international relations, and human rights law. It is of interest to readers who are interested in the Northern Ireland peace process and those seeking to understand how third parties can assist in the implementation of peace agreements.

254 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2017

About the author

Married to my wonderful husband, Ed. We have one son, Ken, and a cat, Ivy. I love reading, writing, hiking and camping. I am an obsessed football fan. My favorite team is the Seattle Seahawks. I love listening to music. My favorite bands are The Scorpions, Journey, & Evanescence. My favorite Authors are Peter Mayle and Frances Mayes. I love to watch movies, mostly "Chick Flicks" such as Letters to Juliet, Under The Tuscan Sun, Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Mama Mia. But I also love a good adventure such as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy or any of the Hary Potter movies.

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Independent Commissions and Contentious Issues in Post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland
Author: Dawn Walsh
Source: I read this via my Uni's library.

This book provides an indepth look at some of the key commissions emerging following the GFA. While this look was incredibly informative, well laid out and well referenced, it wasn't exactly what I was personally looking for, in terms of my dissertation. For that reason, I cannot fully judge the book as I was not it's target audience but I do believe if you're interested in commissions this is a great starting point. The chapter on the Human Rights Commission was particularly interesting and the explanation of the internationalisation of the Northern Irish conflict and the impact of the USA actors who involved themselves.